Gusty winds accompany Andrea

HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) - Along with heavy rains and localized flooding, the Grand Strand was forecasted to see some gusty winds from Tropical Storm Andrea.

One update from the National Hurricane Center listed Andrea's sustained winds at 45 miles per hour and little change in strength was expected as the storm made its way up the East coast toward the Carolinas.

Friday morning, as the storm passed over the state, the WMBF Storm Team recorded wind gusts at 45 miles per hour in North Myrtle Beach and 40 miles per hour at Myrtle Beach International.

"While the winds won't be this bad all day, we will still be pretty windy until about dinner time tonight," said Storm Team Meteorologist Marla Branson.

The following update was provided by out weather producer, Ethan Smith, Thursday night:

Although Andrea has weakened some since it made landfall in Florida, we can still expect gusty winds to accompany the storm when it arrives. Winds will be strongest along the beaches, with gusts up to 40 miles per hour likely. Winds will not be as strong further inland, where the strongest gusts are expected to be in the 20 to 30 mile per hour range. Winds are expected to peak around daybreak on Friday.

With the heavy rain accompanying the storm and the saturated ground from the rain this past week, some weaker trees may be uprooted by the winds. Some light outside objects such as flower pots and trash cans may be blown about, so it may be a good idea to bring such things inside until the storm passes. That being said, the wind impact is expected to be minimal, both at the beaches and inland.

Remember, the WMBF News Hurricane Tracker is a great tool to track tropical storms and hurricanes- you can get the latest information on the storm, see the latest watches and warnings, and even see model forecast tracks. The Hurricane Tracker can be found here: http://www.wmbfnews.com/category/208720/weather-hurricane-tracker